Download FREE Practo app
Get ₹200 HealthCash
Seperation Anxiety
How to deal with seperation anxiety that makes you unable to function?
I was prescribed SOS med & some anxiety med but it doesnt help me in my moments of extreme anxiety. What can i do more?
Answers (29)
Get your queries answered instantly with Care AI FREE
20000+ health queries resolved in last month
Do muscle relaxation exercises
Answered
Flag this answer
Let others know if this answer was helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Didn't find the answer you are looking for?
Talk to experienced doctor online and get your health questions answered in just 5 minutes.
+193
Connect with psychotherapist
Answered
Flag this answer
Let others know if this answer was helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Separation anxiety in adulthood can feel very distressing, especially when it starts affecting your ability to function normally. Since you are already on medication but still experiencing intense anxiety episodes, a few additional steps may help.
Next Steps
1.Consult your psychiatrist again
If the SOS medication is not helping during severe anxiety episodes, your doctor may need to adjust dosage or medication type.
2.Start structured psychotherapy
Approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or anxiety-focused therapy are very effective in managing separation anxiety by addressing the underlying fears and attachment patterns.
3.Gradual exposure practice
Work slowly on increasing tolerance to separation situations rather than avoiding them completely.
Health Tips
Practice slow breathing (inhale for 4 seconds, exhale for 6 seconds) to calm the nervous system.
• Use grounding techniques (focus on things you can see, hear, and touch around you).
• Maintain regular sleep, exercise, and routine, which helps regulate anxiety levels.
• Try journaling your anxious thoughts and challenging them with more balanced thoughts.
• Stay connected with supportive friends or family, but also gradually build confidence in spending time independently.
If the anxiety continues to interfere with daily functioning, working with a mental health professional alongside medication can significantly improve coping and long-term recovery.
Answered
Flag this answer
Let others know if this answer was helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
At first I have a query which you can ask your parents. Do you know whether you stayed with your mother immediately after birth, or were you kept separately in the hospital for some time? (May be due to some medical reason)
Health Tips
Early detachment impacts on later emotional security. Contact with Psychologist who may guide effectively to remove the error.
Answered
Flag this answer
Let others know if this answer was helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Hi,
Please reach out for therapy sessions. It will help you to get better along with the medication.
Answered
Flag this answer
Let others know if this answer was helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Hi , I can understand the situation that you’re going through, with appropriate therapy and lifestyle changes you can come out of this.
Do not try to resist or fight against these thoughts and emotions, let go of it. Understand that these things are common as part of natural experiences.
When we go deep into separation anxiety, there will be reduced levels of self love and acceptance.
So try working on these areas.
Next Steps
As next steps, continue with the medication prescribed by psychiatrist.
Consult a psychologist who can understand the case history and help you with the appropriate therapy like CBT, ACT,DBT etc and with some lifestyle changes to improve self love and acceptance.
Health Tips
To cope up follow the below lifestyle changes that I’m suggesting you to improve self love and acceptance.
1) Prioritise yourself and make yourself the most important one in your life. Making yourself better you will be able to help others , fulfill responsibilities and life a satisfied life.
2) Spend at least 30 minutes to 1 hour every day for you and involve yourself in activities that increases self love like grooming , work out, meditation , shopping etc.
3) Help others who are struggling in life or donate to orphanage , old age homes . This will bring you a feeling of abundance and increases self love.
4) Revisit your wish list or create a new one and put some efforts to achieve it.
Implementation of these changes will increase self love and acceptance that will eventually help you in coming out of separation anxiety
Wishing you a stable and fulfilled life.
Answered
Flag this answer
Let others know if this answer was helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Hi I can understand the pain you are undergoing it take some time to heal like an injured wound which heals naturally on time, but till then the pain if you cannot bear u can undergo Counseling and Psychotherapy online or offline....take care....do not worry everything will settle like calm and silent water .....
With regards,
Srividhya Mahalingam
Psychologist
Answered
Flag this answer
1/1 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Hi there,
Understanding the issue by taking a case history would help. Since you have mentioned that it affects your functioning i would suggest to seek help. Therapy will help you.
Answered
Flag this answer
1/1 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Need a lot more details before any guidance or comment...
Answered
Flag this answer
Let others know if this answer was helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Avoid self-diagnosing or constantly researching symptoms online — it can worsen OCD cycles. Recovery is gradual, not instant. Be patient with the process.
If symptoms include suicidal thoughts, immediate professional help is necessary.
Next Steps
Revisit your psychiatrist for medication review
• Start structured CBT
• Practice grounding techniques during peak anxiety
• Work on gradual separation exposure
Health Tips
Avoid constant reassurance-seeking — it temporarily reduces anxiety but strengthens it long term. Recovery is possible with consistent work.
Answered
Flag this answer
Let others know if this answer was helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Hello,
Separation anxiety can feel overwhelming, especially when it begins to affect daily functioning. Start by accepting the separation without blaming yourself or the other person — acceptance reduces inner resistance and allows healing to begin.
Notice your triggers — particular times, memories, or situations when anxiety peaks. Awareness helps you regain control.
Create a simple daily structure: spend 5–10 minutes with a pen and paper reflecting:
• What triggered me today?
• What did I handle well?
• What is one small step I will take tomorrow?
Rebuilding routine (sleep, meals, movement, work) gradually stabilizes the mind.
Next Steps
If medication is not helping during extreme anxiety episodes, psychotherapy becomes essential to process emotional attachment, grief, and fear at a deeper level.
With proper guidance and consistency, recovery is absolutely possible.
For structured support and healing, feel free to connect with me.
Answered
Flag this answer
1/1 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Hi
1. Enjoy solo time filled with interesting chosen activities
2. Grounding Techniques (5-4-3-2-1): During a spike in anxiety, try to notice 5 things you see, 4 feel, 3 hear, 2 smell, and 1 taste to anchor in the present.
3. creating a mental representation of safety you can access when alone.
4. A transitional object as a memory of the separating person
5. Significant and insignificant sides of the separating person ...is he worthy to remember
Next Steps
cognitive behavioral therapy session
Health Tips
hi
Answered
Flag this answer
1/1 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Separation anxiety can feel very overwhelming, especially when it starts affecting daily functioning. Along with medication, learning grounding techniques, breathing exercises, and emotional regulation skills can help manage intense anxiety moments. Working with a psychologist can help you understand the root cause and develop healthier coping strategies for long-term relief.
Answered
Flag this answer
1/1 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Hi, Consult a clinical psychologist to do psychological assessment to assess the severity of anxiety and associated emotional issues.
Answered
Flag this answer
Let others know if this answer was helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Hi
U might need trauma therapies to treat your problem. However more can be discussed only if u meet me in person or online so that i can properly evaluate u.
Next Steps
Contact me asap
Answered
Flag this answer
Let others know if this answer was helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Consultation with me is advised
Answered
Flag this answer
Let others know if this answer was helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Separation anxiety can lead to post traumatic psychological changes. It needs to be treated asap otherwise it may get complicated.
It needs to be treated in a holistic approach for complete recovery.
It can be well treated with counseling sessions and homeopathic medicine effectively and without any side effects.
You need an expert Psychologist who is a good homeopathic physician.
Next Steps
I have been working as a Homeopathic Psychiatrist and Counseling psychologist for the last 18 years of experience. You can contact me through an online appointment for further assistance.
Answered
Flag this answer
Let others know if this answer was helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Hi
Separation anxiety in adults can feel overwhelming because your mind treats distance like danger. In those extreme moments, your body goes into panic mode — racing heart, restlessness, fear of something bad happening — and it becomes hard to function. Medication can reduce baseline anxiety, but it does not automatically change the fear pattern in your brain. You need to slowly train your nervous system to tolerate distance through gradual exposure, grounding exercises, and challenging the “something bad will happen” thoughts. Avoiding separation actually makes the fear stronger over time.
In therapy, we work on building emotional independence, self-soothing skills, and reducing reassurance dependence. Simple tools like structured breathing, delaying calls/messages gradually, and creating a safety plan for when anxiety spikes can make a big difference. If medicines aren’t helping in extreme moments, that needs review with your psychiatrist, but psychological work is equally important. Take therapy. You can connect with me on nine two six six seven two six zero six five.
Answered
Flag this answer
Let others know if this answer was helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Lot of strength to you.. Anxiety is always about fear of future, you need to do things which brings your mind in present moment. Try writing non stop for 10 min in your journal whatever comes to your mind but without picking up your pen , breathwork helps but you need to do long slow exhalations try to follow a count of 4 inhales 6 exhales , do exhales through mouth..
For deeper work you can contact me or any other professional therapist
Answered
Flag this answer
Let others know if this answer was helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Only medicine is not proper treatment for psychiatric disorders, supportive therapies and relaxation training especially in anxiety is equally important.
Next Steps
consult clinical psychologist for therapies
Health Tips
you can connect with me on practo
Answered
Flag this answer
1/1 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Separation anxiety that freezes you is not mild worry. It’s a full body alarm. When it hits, your nervous system isn’t asking for logic or reassurance it’s screaming danger, danger, even when your mind knows you’re safe. That’s why medication alone often feels useless in the worst moments. why meds don’t work in extreme moments
When anxiety crosses a certain threshold, the brain’s reasoning center goes offline. You’re operating from the survival brain. At that point:
Thinking doesn’t soothe
Reassurance doesn’t land
Even sedatives may feel weak
This does not mean the meds are wrong. It means they can’t do the whole job alone.
What to do during the wave (this is crucial)
When the anxiety peaks, your goal is not to calm down.
Your goal is to ride the wave without breaking.
Here’s what helps when you feel like you can’t function:
1. Ground through the body, not the mind
Your body needs proof that it is safe.
Put your feet flat on the floor
Press your palms hard together
Name out loud 5 things you can see, 3 things you can touch
This sounds simple, but it tells the nervous system: I am here, now, alive.
2. Speak to yourself out loud
Silently thinking doesn’t work in panic.
Say (even whisper):
“This is anxiety. It will peak. It will fall. I don’t need to escape.”
Hearing your own voice activates regulation.
3. Let the fear be present
This is counterintuitive, but powerful.
Say:
“You can stay. I won’t fight you.”
Resistance fuels anxiety. Allowing shortens it.
Next Steps
What to work on between episodes (this is where recovery happens)
1. Reduce emotional dependence, not emotional connection
Separation anxiety often isn’t about the person leaving it’s about losing safety.
Start building internal anchors:
One routine that belongs only to you
One place you go alone
One activity you do even while anxious
Confidence grows through action while anxious, not waiting for calm.
2. Train your nervous system daily
This isn’t optional.
Daily practices that matter:
Slow breathing (long exhale)
Gentle walking
Warm showers
Consistent sleep timing
Your nervous system learns safety through repetition.
Health Tips
If separation anxiety is severe, it often traces back to earlier experiences of loss, unpredictability, or emotional abandonment. That’s not blame. That’s context. Healing doesn’t mean becoming “independent.” It means becoming secure inside yourself.
Answered
Flag this answer
Let others know if this answer was helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Connect with psychologist to discuss in detail.
Next Steps
consult
Health Tips
counseling
Answered
Flag this answer
3/3 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
It seems like you're quite in distress.
Next Steps
Best option would be to consult with your psychiatrist again to gain insight about the action of the prescribed meds. Complement the treatment with sessions with a qualified RCI registered clinical psychologist to understand the underlying psychological mechanisms of separation anxiety and how to correct them
Health Tips
Kindly visit a qualified clinical psychologist only
Answered
Flag this answer
1/1 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
I’m really sorry you’re going through this. When separation anxiety becomes so intense that it affects your ability to function, it’s not weakness , it’s your nervous system going into threat mode. Adult separation anxiety is often linked to attachment fears (fear of abandonment, loss, or something going wrong). The mind imagines worst-case scenarios, the body reacts with panic, and then we either avoid separation or seek repeated reassurance, which although gives temporary relief but strengthens the anxiety cycle over time.
Medication can help, but it doesn’t always address the deeper emotional patterns behind the anxiety. That’s where psychological work becomes important.
Next Steps
• Revisit your psychiatrist if SOS medication is not helping - dosage or type may need adjustment. Do not change medication on your own.
• Start working on nervous system regulation techniques during anxiety spikes (breathing, grounding, cold stimulation).
• Gradually practice small, planned separations instead of avoiding them completely.
• Consider therapy, especially attachment-focused and anxiety-focused therapeutic work to work on the root cause rather than only symptom control.
Health Tips
• When anxiety peaks, focus on calming the body first, logic works only after the nervous system settles.
• Slow exhalation breathing (inhale 4, exhale 6–8) can reduce panic intensity.
• Limit repeated reassurance-seeking (constant calls/texts). Try planned check-ins instead.
• Be patient with yourself as healing attachment anxiety takes time, but it is absolutely treatable.
If this feels overwhelming or persistent, seeking structured therapeutic support can make a meaningful difference. You don’t have to navigate this alone. Seek help.
Answered
Flag this answer
2/2 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Ms. Rizwana Parvin T M
Counselling Psychologist
7 yrs exp
Coimbatore
During extreme anxiety, you have to do chores that calm you down. It could be physical exercises, distracting yourself by moving out from that place. Mental exercises like self talking and deep breathing exercises. Life changes to positive and calming activities are required.
Answered
Flag this answer
Let others know if this answer was helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Dr. Rupali Mohbe (PhD)
Psychologist
26 yrs exp
Ahmedabad
Separation anxiety in adults can feel overwhelming, especially when attachment to someone becomes closely linked with emotional safety. When distance or separation happens, the nervous system can react as if there is danger, leading to intense fear, racing thoughts, and difficulty functioning. This does not mean you are weak — it usually reflects deep attachment sensitivity combined with anxiety patterns.
If SOS medication is not helping enough during peak distress, it may be useful to strengthen coping skills alongside medical support.
Next Steps
Helpful steps may include:
- Consulting your psychiatrist to review the current medication plan rather than adjusting it on your own
- Working with a mental health professional, especially a therapist, to understand the root of attachment anxiety and build emotional regulation skills
- Learning structured grounding and breathing techniques to use during moments of extreme anxiety
- Gradually increasing tolerance to short periods of separation instead of avoiding them completely
- Building personal routines, hobbies, or goals that strengthen your sense of identity outside the relationship
- Reducing reassurance-seeking behaviours, as they often temporarily calm anxiety but maintain the cycle long-term
Health Tips
Separation anxiety can improve significantly with the right therapeutic approach. Medication may help with symptoms, but deeper and more lasting relief usually comes from learning how to regulate emotions and build internal stability. To know more about this, you can always reach out for help to us at nine-five-two-two-five-five-five-seven-zero-three.
Answered
Flag this answer
Let others know if this answer was helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Ms. Pooja Bhargava
Psychologist
10 yrs exp
Delhi
When anxiety feels overwhelming combine medication with therapy - CBT with gradual exposure is especially effective for separation anxiety
Next Steps
Consistent therapy to build coping tolerance during separation triggers
Answered
Flag this answer
Let others know if this answer was helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Ms. Kiara Jain
Psychologist
10 yrs exp
Mumbai
I can imagine it must be so difficult for you!
You’re not alone, and don’t be harsh in yourself for this because sometimes you don’t choose this
Next Steps
Start in small steps, I don’t know about your situation and who you’re referring to, if it’s a romantic partner , do things outside your relationship and remind yourself that there is a life beyond this person
Begin hobbies which you like alone and spend time with yourself , the second you start feeling anxious , engage in an activity you enjoy
It could be a sport , or a simple hobby like painting , and remind yourself that it’s ok to feel this way! Don’t worry everything will be fine
Answered
Flag this answer
Let others know if this answer was helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Ms. Renuka Chauhan
Mental Health Counselor
2 yrs exp
Delhi
Separation anxiety can feel overwhelming, especially when it interferes with daily functioning. Alongside medication, grounding techniques (like slow breathing, sensory grounding, and naming what you feel), gradual exposure to being apart, and working with a therapist on attachment patterns and coping skills can be very effective.
Next Steps
If your anxiety feels unmanageable, it’s important to revisit your doctor and engage with a therapist to review your treatment plan sometimes adjustments in therapy or medication are needed.
Answered
Flag this answer
Let others know if this answer was helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YES
NO
Articles you may like
Disclaimer : The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
The question asked on this page is a free question. You can ask a free health question by downloading the Practo app.
Articles you may like
Tell us what's troubling you
Tell us what's troubling you
Disclaimer : The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.